Pieris plant named ‘Shy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Pieris  plant named ‘Shy’, characterized by its compact plant habit; freely branching habit; leaves that are initially purple red in color and with development become green in color; inflorescences that are initially upright; relatively late flowering response; numerous deep purplish pink-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pieris japonica.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SHY’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Pieris plant, botanically known as Pieris japonica, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Shy’.

The new Pieris plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hopewell, Oreg. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new compact Pieris plants with upright inflorescences, stable and attractive flower color and good garden performance.

The new Pieris plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in February, 1988, in Hopewell, Oreg., of Pieris japonica var. japonica ‘Reversal’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Pieris japonica var. taiwanensis ‘Shears’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Pieris plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Hopewell, Oreg. in March, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Pieris plant by cuttings propagated in a controlled environment in Hopewell, Oreg. since 2004 has shown that the unique features of this new Pieris plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Pieris have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, length of growing season and/or light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Shy’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Shy’ as a new and distinct Pieris plant:

-   -   1. Compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Leaves that are initially purple red in color and with         development become green in color.     -   4. Inflorescences that are initially upright.     -   5. Relatively late flowering response.     -   6. Numerous deep purplish pink-colored flowers.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Pieris differ from plants of the female parent, ‘Reversal’, primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Pieris are more freely branching than         plants of ‘Reversal’.     -   2. Plants of the new Pieris retain leaves for a longer period of         time than plants of ‘Reversal’.     -   3. Developing leaves of plants of the new Pieris are purple red         in color whereas developing leaves of plants of ‘Reversal’ are         yellow green in color.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Pieris are more upright         than inflorescences of plants of ‘Reversal’.     -   5. Plants of the new Pieris flower later than plants of         ‘Reversal’.     -   6. Plants of the new Pieris are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Reversal’.     -   7. Flowers of plants of the new Pieris are deep purplish pink in         color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Reversal’ are red purple in         color.

Plants of the new Pieris differ from plants of the male parent, ‘Shears’, primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Developing leaves of plants of the new Pieris are purple red         in color whereas developing leaves of plants of ‘Shears’ are         yellow green in color.     -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Pieris are deep purplish pink in         color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Shears’ are white in color.     -   3. Sepals, peduncles and leaf petioles of plants of the new         Pieris are dark red in color whereas sepals, peduncles and leaf         petioles of plants of ‘Shears’ are yellow green in color.

Plants of the new Pieris can be compared to the plants of the Pieris japonica ‘Passion’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,319. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hopewell, Oreg., plants of the new Pieris differed from plants of ‘Passion’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Developing leaves of plants of the new Pieris were purple red         in color whereas developing leaves of plants of ‘Passion’ were         yellow green in color.     -   2. Plants of the new Pieris flowered later and flowers lasted         for a longer period of time than plants of ‘Passion’.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Pieris were narrower but had         longer petals than flowers of plants of ‘Passion’.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Pieris were deep purplish pink         in color whereas flowers of plants of ‘Passion’ were red purple         in color.     -   5. Sepals of plants of the new Pieris were dark red in color         whereas sepals of plants of ‘Passion’ were light yellow green in         color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Pieris plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Pieris plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Shy’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical developing and fully expanded leaves of ‘Shy’.

The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Shy’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Hopewell, Oreg. and under cultural practices typical of commercial production. Plants used for the photographs and description were ten years old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pieris japonica ‘Shy’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Pieris japonica var.japonica             ‘Reversal’, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Pieris japonica var. taiwanensis             ‘Shears’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By stem cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, fall/winter.—About nine weeks at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white to light brown in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Woody perennial, evergreen; compact,             upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; oval to round             in overall shape; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with typically about             three to five lateral branches bypassing each terminal             inflorescence; if terminal inflorescences removed, up to six             lateral branches will develop.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 152 cm.         -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About 132 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 8 cm to 12 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm to 4 mm. Internode length: About 3 mm             to 6 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Between 141C and 143C.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate or whorled at             terminals; simple. Length: About 6 cm to 12 cm. Width: About             1.8 cm to 2.4 cm. Shape: Elliptic to obelliptic. Apex:             Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Towards the base, entire;             towards the apex, crenate. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 185C             to 185D. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Between 141C             and 143C; venation, close to 143D. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Between 143A and 144A; venation, close to             143D. Petioles: Length: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Diameter: About             1 mm to 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and appearance.—Single urceolate flowers             arranged in terminal paniculate racemes; developing             inflorescences initially upright then bending downwardly             with the increasing weight of developing flowers.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit; about 80 to 160             flowers develop per inflorescence during the flowering             period.         -   Natural flowering season.—Relatively late flowering             response; plants of the new Pieris typically flower from             mid-March to mid-April in Hopewell, Oreg.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about 10 to 25             days on the plant.         -   Fragrance.—Sweet, pleasant.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 10 cm to 30 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8 cm to 20 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm to 8 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 8 mm to 10 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm to 8 mm. Diameter: About 3             mm to 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 187A to 187B.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Single urceolate flower form; single             whorl of five petals fused at the base. Length: About 8 mm.             Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Roughly ovate with obtuse apex.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 187B; towards the base, close to 155D. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 67C and becoming             closer to 68B with development; towards the base, close to             155D.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five fused in a single whorl. Length:             About 2 mm to 4 mm. Width: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Shape: Ovate.             Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate to broadly cuneate. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Immature,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 187A. Mature, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 187D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 8 cm to 20 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm             to 2 mm. Angle: Initially upright to about 80° from             vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 187A to 187B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 mm to 6 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm             to 2 mm. Angle: About 40° to 60° from vertical. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close             to 187A to 187B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per flower: About             ten. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther             color: Close to 200A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:             Close to 167C. Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils per flower:             Typically one. Pistil length: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Style             length: About 4 mm to 5 mm. Style color: Close to 145D.             Stigma shape: Narrowly club-shaped. Stigma diameter: Less             than 1 mm. Stigma color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close             to 145D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Pieris. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Pieris have been observed to     have good garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind, ice     to 1.5 cm in thickness, snow to 8 cm in thickness and temperatures     from about −19° C. to about 42° C. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants have not been observed to be     resistant to pathogens and pests common to Pieris plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Pieris plant named ‘Shy’ as illustrated and described. 